Khalid Abdalla
Khalid Abdalla | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 26, 1980 Glasgow, Scotland, UK |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, activist |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Known for | United 93, The Kite Runner, Green Zone, The Square, The Crown |
Khalid Abdalla (; born 26 October 1980) is a British actor and activist, best known for his performance in the 2006 movie United 93.
He played the character Amir in The Kite Runner (2007) and appeared alongside Matt Damon in Green Zone (2010), marking his second collaboration with director Paul Greengrass. Abdalla also appeared as himself in Jehane Noujaim's documentary about the 2011 Egyptian uprising, The Square, which received the Audience Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. In 2022 and 2023, he took on the role of Dodi Fayed in seasons five and six of the historical drama series The Crown, garnering a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
Abdalla is a board member of the National Student Drama Festival. In 2011, he co-established the Mosireen ("We Insist") Collective based in Cairo, an organization of revolutionary filmmakers and activists promoting citizen journalism following the ousting of Hosni Mubarak. Within just three months, Mosireen became Egypt’s most viewed non-profit YouTube channel and was ranked first globally in January 2012.
Early life
Born in Glasgow, Scotland to Egyptian parents, Abdalla was raised in London. His father and grandfather were prominent opponents of the Egyptian regime. Both of his parents were doctors who had emigrated to the United Kingdom prior to his birth.
Abdalla attended King's College School in Wimbledon, London, where he shared classes with actor Ben Barnes and comedian Tom Basden. His passion for acting was sparked through involvement with the school’s drama activities. In 1998, he directed Someone Who'll Watch Over Me by Frank McGuinness, which enjoyed a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival and received a five-star review from The Scotsman, making him the youngest director to achieve this distinction.
Following a gap year spent traveling across the Middle East, Abdalla studied English at Queens' College, Cambridge. During this time, he actively participated in student theatre alongside peers such as Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens. He was awarded the Judges' Award for Acting at the National Student Drama Festival for his role in Bedbound by Enda Walsh. Additionally, Abdalla trained under Philippe Gaulier at the renowned École Philippe Gaulier.
Career
In 2003, Abdalla portrayed the lead role in Christopher Marlowe's Tamburlaine the Great at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, London. This production marked the launch of Peter Hall's Canon's Mouth Theatre Company, a troupe of young actors dedicated to revitalizing Renaissance metaphorical dramas with fresh perspectives.
His screen debut came in 2005 with an appearance in an episode of Spooks titled Infiltration of a New Threat.
Abdalla’s Hollywood breakthrough occurred in 2006 with United 93, where he received critical praise portraying Ziad Jarrah. Subsequently, he secured the leading role in The Kite Runner, preparing extensively by learning Dari Persian and practicing kite-flying techniques native to Kabul.
In 2008, he featured as Guy Pringle in a BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Fortunes of War. That same year, he played Freddy in Green Zone, reuniting with actor Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass.
Between 2009 and 2010, Abdalla both produced and acted in the independent Egyptian film In the Last Days of the City, directed by Tamer El Said. His cinematic contributions were honored with special recognition at the November 2010 Cairo International Film Festival.
In 2011, he lent his voice as narrator for the documentary East to West (also known as The River Flows Westward).
Abdalla portrayed Muhammad XII of Granada in the 2016 film adaptation of Assassin's Creed.
During 2022–23, he embodied Dodi Fayed, partner to Diana, Princess of Wales, across seasons five and six of The Crown. This role earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the Critics' Choice Television Awards.
In 2024, Abdalla debuted his one-man play Nowhere at Battersea Arts Centre, which was subsequently published by Salamander Street. He also starred in the 2024 staging of Mnemonic (play), taking over from Simon McBurney as lead character Khalid/Omar. The production ran from June 22 to August 10 at the Olivier Theatre, part of the National Theatre.
Personal life
At the beginning of 2011, Abdalla took part in the 2011 Egyptian protests held at Tahrir Square in Cairo, standing against the Hosni Mubarak administration. He appeared on CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer as well as alongside Anderson Cooper to discuss his perspectives on the demonstrations. Abdalla continues to engage actively in Egypt’s political affairs.
That same year, he helped establish the Mosireen Collective in Cairo, a coalition of revolutionary filmmakers dedicated to supporting citizen journalism following Mubarak’s departure. Mosireen creates videos that counter official state narratives, provides training and equipment to activists, and maintains a comprehensive archive of footage. Within just three months, it emerged as Egypt’s most viewed non-profit YouTube channel and achieved global ranking status by January 2012.
Abdalla is an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights. In March 2025, he was questioned under caution by the Metropolitan Police concerning his participation in a pro-Palestine demonstration in London earlier that year, related to alleged violations of the Public Order Act’s stipulations. He described this action as an infringement on the right to protest within the United Kingdom.
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | United 93 | Ziad Jarrah | |
| 2007 | Hush Your Mouth | JJ Farouk | |
| The Kite Runner | Amir Qadiri | ||
| 2010 | Green Zone | Farid Yusuf "Freddy" Abdurrahman | |
| Maydoum | Sharif | Short | |
| 2012 | Predella | Magid | Short |
| Al Alamayn | Mahmoud | Short | |
| Une arme de choix | Himself | Documentary short | |
| 2013 | The Square | Himself | Documentary |
| 2014 | Tigers | Nadeem | |
| Narrow Frame of Midnight | Zacaria | ||
| 2015 | 1001 Inventions and the World of Ibn Al-Haytham | Ibn Al-Haytham | Voice |
| 2016 | In the Last Days of the City | Khalid El-Said | |
| Our Kind of Traitor | Luke | ||
| Assassin's Creed | Muhammad XII of Granada | ||
| 2017 | Birds Like Us | Bat | Voice |
| 2020 | Undergods | Octavius |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Spooks | Yazdi | Episode: "Road Trip" |
| 2007 | Secret's Out | Himself | Episode: "The Kite Runner" |
| 2011 | East To West | Narrator | Voice role across 7 episodes |
| 2019–2020 | Hanna | Jerome Sawyer | Appeared in 6 episodes |
| 2022 | Moon Knight | Selim / Osiris | Featured in 3 episodes |
| 2022–2023 | The Crown | Dodi Fayed | Participated in 7 episodes Nominated for Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nominated for Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated for Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series |
| 2024 | The Day of the Jackal | Ulle Dag Charles |